Home Equity Loans – second mortgage

Sean Bailey asked:




You may know that a home equity loan is the possible answer if you urgently need cash. But are you aware too that this type of loan carries with it the danger of losing your home? Since your home is used as collateral, non-repayment of the home equity loan could mean foreclosure of your home. It is therefore necessary to have a deeper understanding on how does a home equity loan work. As mentioned before, if you take this type of loan you will use your home as collateral. What then is home equity? Let’s say you have purchased a house several years ago for a specified amount. Over the years you have made changes…you may have renovated the house; you may have added a wing or two. These changes have increased the market value of the house. The value that goes with the house is the home equity. Now, if you take out a home equity loan, you are in effect “using” your own money. It becomes a loan because it entails interest rates to be charged, monthly repayments to be paid in a specified period of time.

Basically, this type of loan would have a fixed loan term, a fixed interest rate as well as a fixed monthly payment. However, there is another type of home equity loan that has variable interest rates, monthly payments and terms – the home equity line of credit. Unlike the former type of home loan where the loan proceed is given in one lump sum amount, home equity line of credit can be withdrawn by the borrower as the need arises. Monthly payment varies as it would depend on the amount of money withdrawn.

One advantage of taking a home equity loan is the relatively low interest rates. The borrower is afforded savings opportunities because payment for this loan is tax deductible and interest rates can be written off from the taxes he/she has to pay. These type of loans are taken for a variety of reasons. The proceeds may be used to pay off credit cards with high rates of interests; it can also be used to infuse capital on a business.

If you have a good credit history and you have all the necessary documents, your loan will be approved in no time. The cash you urgently need will be in your hands but there is an important consideration you need to remember, your home ownership is at stake here. Non-payment of the loan could mean foreclosure of your home. As you can see, it is not as straight forward as you would like to think it is. I hope the article has given you some insights on how does a home equity loan work.

Bradley

Timmy Deleu asked:




Equity rates is a very difficult subject to most people and because taking a home loan is a very big and often life changing decision, hopefully this article can help you get a better understanding about home equity rates.

Everyone who is thinking about applying for a home equity loan or a mortgage has to consider slight differences of rates in the states they are living in, because the rates vary in the different states. Equity rates are variable with the changes in the economy.

Equity rates are controlled by several aspects, banks have a small impact on the rates while the Federal Government observe the economy inflation statistics to find out if the equity rates need to go up or down. Rates are different in Washington compared to New York, for example in July 2008 the equity rates for a $75K home equity loan FICO where 7.70% for Washington while in New York the rates where 7.55%. These are also vary on the type of loan and of course the length of the home loan.

Don’t get scared off because equity rates vary so much from state to state, to more you learn about it the easier it will become. Like with any subject the beginning is always a little harder.

As you know now, your state is calculated into the rates on home equity loans. Thus, when requesting for an equity loan, it makes perfect sense that you know what the rates are in your current state to get ready to talk terms with the lenders. It really is of no importance if you are an investor when requesting for equity loans because the only thing that matters is finding the best deals. You have to know that almost all lenders are rivals of each other and almost all of them will listen to your negotiation when discussing home loans. You have to keep informed and up to date on current rates and loan offerings if you are to negotiate.

As a final note, when considering home equity loans, you have to stick to the advice offered to avoid any losses. By listening to the advice, you can be prepared for the future, and spare yourself of financial burden.

Think about what you just have been reading about equity rates and I’m sure you will do a great job next time you are negotiating for a home equity loan.

John

JUICER asked:


I have 2 properties in florida. one is investment and the other is second home. I have not defaulted on any of my loans and both me and my wife have credit scores of 760 and above. I am spending more than i earn right now to maintain these mortgages and fear that if the one with a payoption arm recasts i will go into foreclosure. can i modify even though i am not in default as of right now? there is no equity in the home the mortgage is now more than the home is worth. what are my options? what are the repercussions for homowners who just stop paying their mortgages? can they foreclose on my primary if i stop paying my investment home? please advise.

COREY

mayuresh sawant asked:


A no income verification home equity loan is a second mortgage loan that does not require you to provide income documentation to qualify for the loan. This type of loan is great for homeowners who need a home equity loan but have hard to document income.

The majority of borrowers with hard to document income are either self-employed or commission based employees. Consumers who fall under these categories may have high income but have a lot of business related deductions that they write off on their taxes. This is good on the one hand as it reduces the taxable income and thus the amount of taxes owed, however, when it comes to getting a home loan it can hurt as most lenders use the average of your last 2 years taxable net income (the amount left after all of your deductions) to determine your income figure for qualifying purposes. This may cause you to have a debt to income ratio problem if you have a high debt load and thus keep you from qualifying for the loan. With a no income verification home equity loan, however, your gross income can be used for qualifying purposes as opposed to the net income.

In order to qualify for a no income verification home equity loan you will, in most cases, need good credit and a high credit score. Expect to pay a higher rate for this type of loan as opposed to a traditional loan in which you have to document your income. Also, even though a no income verification loan does not require you to document your income, some lenders may require that you have a certain dollar value of assets on hand which must be verified. Not all lenders have this requirement though – some lenders offer a program called NINA which stands for “no income no assets” meaning you do not have to document either. Loan guidelines and rates vary from lender to lender so it is a good idea to shop around to increase your chances of getting the best deal available to you.



PAUL

Chris asked:


Due to the down economy I was laid off from my job. This is happening everywhere but I was wondering if I could still get a second mortgage as a type of “rental income”. I currently own a home, well still have a mortgage. But are lenders still willing to give out loans to people who are unemployed but yet looking to make a second source of income from rent. Or could I pull out a line of equity on my current home? Please give me some advice

(reason I ask: Found a steal on a home appraised at $99,000- selling for $30,000)

ORLANDO

savesomethingwild asked:


We are getting ready to purchase a home and will be borrowing $480k. We have called around to various lenders and have received conflicting advice. Is it better to:
1) get a conforming loan for the first $417 (today’s rate of 5.875%) and then get a second trust for the remaining $63k. And then for the second trust, should we do a home equity line of credit (only 5% now but could rise as economy improves) or an amortized second home loan at 7.5%
OR
2) just get one mortgage at the “mini jumbo” rate, which is only an eighth of of a percent higher (?) than the conforming loan rate.

HELP! this is so confusing! Thank you

LYLE

rollsrock18 asked:


I’m trying to make a financially sound move, deciding whether or not I should take a second mortgage or home equity loan against the equity in my house. Here’s the scenario: 670 median credit score, debt to income is about 40%. House appraised for about 100K, still owe 60K. I have credit card debt and I want to also do home improvement. I have three credit cards, two of which are maxed out because I’ve been doing home improvements with the availability on them. I want to use about 20K in equity to pay off the cards, and use about 5K of it for home improvement so I can sell the house when the housing market improves in a few years.

Should I go for it?

CARROLL

Levetta Rivera asked:


A no income verification home equity loan is a second mortgage loan that does not require you to provide income documentation to qualify for the loan. This type of loan is great for homeowners who need a home equity loan but have hard to document income.

The majority of borrowers with hard to document income are either self-employed or commission based employees. Consumers who fall under these categories may have high income but have a lot of business related deductions that they write off on their taxes. This is good on the one hand as it reduces the taxable income and thus the amount of taxes owed, however, when it comes to getting a home loan it can hurt as most lenders use the average of your last 2 years taxable net income (the amount left after all of your deductions) to determine your income figure for qualifying purposes. This may cause you to have a debt to income ratio problem if you have a high debt load and thus keep you from qualifying for the loan. With a no income verification home equity loan, however, your gross income can be used for qualifying purposes as opposed to the net income.

In order to qualify for a no income verification home equity loan you will, in most cases, need good credit and a high credit score. Expect to pay a higher rate for this type of loan as opposed to a traditional loan in which you have to document your income. Also, even though a no income verification loan does not require you to document your income, some lenders may require that you have a certain dollar value of assets on hand which must be verified. Not all lenders have this requirement though – some lenders offer a program called NINA which stands for “no income no assets” meaning you do not have to document either. Loan guidelines and rates vary from lender to lender so it is a good idea to shop around to increase your chances of getting the best deal available to you.



DANA

Kristi B asked:


I owe much more on my mobile home than what I could sell it for… does anyone know a way to roll it over into a regular home loan,, im sick of this place!!
I would have to rollover about 17,000,, is that possible?? I was the cosigner on this place and the primary person filed bankruptcy,, I have lived here since i was 19 and now im 26.. i just want to move on with my life now i have a husband and daughter and we need a house,, badly!! We are in western michigan,,
The park doesnt allow subleasing and i dont have the credit to get a loan to pay off the difference. Ijust want out from this..i dont want to have it hanging over my head.

WALLACE

Metrallo asked:


At the same time, what’s better a line of credit or home loan??

MERRILL